Southwest polls customers on changing free bag policy

Southwest is seeking customer feedback on possible changes to its policy allowing free checked bags, suggesting the carrier could scrap another of its defining perks as it tries to fend off an activist investor. The company surveyed select loyalty members and consumers beginning last week about hypothetical scenarios imposing bag fees for lower-cost fares. The questionnaire, part of which was seen by Bloomberg and confirmed by the airline, also sought views on travel habits, loyalty status benefits and booking preferences. Southwest has long stood by its “bags fly free” policy, which executives have said differentiates the carrier from competitors — it’s the only major US airline to allow passengers to check two bags at no cost. CEO Bob Jordan said on the company’s earnings conference call in April that it wasn’t considering a change then “because people choose Southwest Airlines because we don’t have bag fees.” The airline told Bloomberg this week that while the questionnaire focuses more on luggage policy than past surveys, it doesn’t reflect an imminent shift. The company continues to survey customers. “There’s no work currently underway to change our industry-leading two bags fly free policy, but it’s important for us to know what our customers value most,” Southwest said in a statement. “We’ll continue our efforts to track stakeholder sentiment on many aspects of our business model to ensure we remain competitive and current on customer preferences.” Part of the customer survey detailed a hypothetical policy in which Wanna Get Away fares, the cheapest, include only a personal item and carry-on bag, while Wanna Get Away Plus has one free checked bag. The higher-cost categories — Anytime and Business Select — would maintain two free checked bags.<br/>